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Note that I am not the person you originally replied to. My point is that exploitation is inherent property of a huge power difference. It doesn't matter if th

Note that I am not the person you originally replied to. My point is that exploitation is inherent property of a huge power difference. It doesn't matter if the system is capitalism, socialism, or whateverotherkindism. Reminds me of a quote from a very talented mathematician: Imagine the case of two neighbors, each of whom at the outset owns the same amount of land, but one of whom is more powerful than the other. The powerful one demands a piece of the other’s land. The weak one refuses. The powerful one says, “OK, let’s compromise. Give me half of what I asked.” The weak one has little choice but to give in. Some time later the powerful neighbor demands another piece of land, again there is a compromise, and so forth. By forcing a long series of compromises on the weaker man, the powerful one eventually gets all of his land.

dotancohen 4y ago
> My point is that exploitation is inherent property of a huge power difference. What power difference? I have the money, the refrigerator company wants that money. I have half a dozen refrigerator companies trying to convince me that their product is the one worth my money. What power does any single refrigerator company have over me?
- paskozdilar 4y ago
  > What power does any single refrigerator company have over me? It doesn't have to be a single company per se - all the companies could hold power over you at the same time. E.g. if most huge refrigerator companies agree (explicitly or implicitly) to all include "smart" features that violate the customers' privacy, then the refrigerator companies hold power over you - you can't buy a refrigerator without "smart" features, as there aren't any on the market. You can ask for a "dumb" refrigerator, but ultimately you aren't the one making the refrigerators, so you don't make the decisions. Perhaps some other company will join in, and try to fill in the niche of "dumb" refrigerators, but they will either not have the resources/connections of the already-established companies, or their efforts will be undermined by the already-established companies in order to keep their power, or they might even succeed but have their refrigerators so expensive that privacy-seeking people have to pay premium in order to get it.

dotancohen 4y ago

> My point is that exploitation is inherent property of a huge power difference. What power difference? I have the money, the refrigerator company wants that money. I have half a dozen refrigerator companies trying to convince me that their product is the one worth my money. What power does any single refrigerator company have over me?

paskozdilar 4y ago
> What power does any single refrigerator company have over me? It doesn't have to be a single company per se - all the companies could hold power over you at the same time. E.g. if most huge refrigerator companies agree (explicitly or implicitly) to all include "smart" features that violate the customers' privacy, then the refrigerator companies hold power over you - you can't buy a refrigerator without "smart" features, as there aren't any on the market. You can ask for a "dumb" refrigerator, but ultimately you aren't the one making the refrigerators, so you don't make the decisions. Perhaps some other company will join in, and try to fill in the niche of "dumb" refrigerators, but they will either not have the resources/connections of the already-established companies, or their efforts will be undermined by the already-established companies in order to keep their power, or they might even succeed but have their refrigerators so expensive that privacy-seeking people have to pay premium in order to get it.